Road and field conditioning device



Oct. 28, 1930. F. LAGE 1,779,548

ROAD AND FIELD CONDITIONING DEVICE Filed Aug. 30, 1928 snow Ho's Patented Oct. 28, 1930 uN TEnsTAT ES PATENTVQOFFF'ICE FREDERICK LAGE, OEGLADBROOK, IOWA Roan AND FIELD CONDITIONING DEVICE Applicatio'n'filed August 30, 1928. Serial Bo; 362,988. v

The principal object of this-invention is to provide a road and field conditioning device that successfully crushes and'distributes the dirt, loam and thelike=over which it is 6 drawn.

A further object of this invention is to pro,- vide a road and field conditioning device that is capable of furrowing the ground oyer whichitpasses. 2 A still further object of this invention is to provide a road and field conditioning device that is so constructed that when .one. of the earth engaging members is lifted'by a rise in the ground ora comparativelylarge clod of earth the whole device is lifted, thereby cau sv .ing approximately the entire weight of the complete device to rest uponthe earth engaging member thathas been raised.

' A'still furtherobject of this invention is to provide a deviceffor theconditioning of either templated are attained as hereinafter more I fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and F illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of mycomplete invention ready for use as a clod'crusher or soft earth levelerz,

. Fig. 2- is an end View of my invention more fully illustrating the position of the angle irons when the device is used as a clod-crusher and soft earth leveler: V

Fig. 3 is an end View of my device illustrating the-position ofnthe"angle irons. when the apparatus is used as a scraper for th conditioning of roads and thelike. i I a Fig. 4 is aback elevation of the last angle iron of the invention, whenthe device is used as a clod crusher or soft earth levele'r and shows the teeth attached thereto for furrow ing the earth. v

Fig. 5 is an end view of the trailing angle iron,'when the device is used as a clod crusher or soft earth leveler, showing the counterbalance weight forholding the angle iron in proper position so that the teeth attached thereto will more successfully furrow the ground over whichthe device passes.

l The chief disadvantages of road and field conditioning machines now being sold to the general public aretheir failure tobe readily converted from field use to roaduse and their inability to properly level and smooth the eartlrwithout undue packing I have overcome these disadvantages will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art. v

I have usedthe numerals 10, 11 and .12 to designate spreaderbars spaced apart, as

shown in Fig. 1. Secured by suitable means such as spot welding and the like to the under side of each of these spreaderfbars are a plurality of half-rings which I have designated by the numeral 13. Each of these-rings is designed to pass through a hole l lrlocated near-the marginal edge of the angle iron 15, as shown in the drawings. By this construction, it will be noted that all of the angle irons 15 will be spaced apart and hingedat one of theirmarginal edges to and in a transverse relation to the spreader bars 10, 11

and 12. v

hen the invention is to be used as a clod crusher or soft earth 'leveler, as illustrated v in Fig.2, the. leading marginal edges of each of the angle irons except the forward angle, iron will behinged to the spreader bars and the trailing marginal edge of each of the angle irons except the rear angle ironwill engage the under side of the spreader bars,

thereby rigidly holding the lower corner of each of the angle irons in a downward'position where they engage the earth and act as the earth engaging members of the device. It is unnecessary for the forward angle iron to be hingedto the spreader bars at its leadf ing marginal edge due to the fact that, when the device is used for field purposes the pull on the device for dragging it over the earth willbe exerted on thele'ading marginaledge to a suitable power for dragging the 'd'evice over the ground to be conditioned Secured by suitable means to the trailing side of the rear angle iron' is aibar'QlI- having a plurality of teeth :22 extending in the same plane as the plane of theleading sideof that" angle iron and which is illustrated in Fig. 2. The purpose of these teeth 22 is to furrow or crease the soft earth over which the device'has passed, in order that it will not be susceptible to erosion by wind or ater. As this rear angle iron does not engage the spreader bars at its trailing marginal edge, I have provided the counter balance weights 23 detachably secured to the trailing upper marginal edge of that angle iron bysuitable means, which yieldingly hold the teeth 22 in proper contact with the earth over which the device passes. By the above described arrangement of my invention it will readily be noted that, when any one of the earth engaging members encounters a rise in the ground or a comparatively large clod it will raise the spreader bar or spreader bars to which it is secured, which in turn will lift all of the angle irons, thereby bringing ap proximately the entire weight of the invention upon the rise in the ground or the clod and successfully level or crush the same.

By the leading sides of the angle irons extending at a downward andbaclrward angle to the ground, there will be very little scraping action and the device may be pulled over the earth without undue resistance as the tendency of the earth will be to allow the invention to slide over it, thereby slightly packing, leveling and conditioning the same. As

the angle irons are each hinged at one of their marginal edges to the spreader bars, a noticeable flexibility of the complete device is readily noticed and the device will expe rience no difficulty in. conforming to the outline of the earth over which it passes.

When the invention is to be used as a road machine the two tow rods 16 and 17 are detached from the forward angle iron and se- 1 cured to the rear angle iron by hooking into the holes 24 and 25, respectively, in that angle iron, as shown in Fig. 3, and reversing the direction of pull of the device. The counterbalance weights 23 should be're'n'roved as they arenot necessary and are inthe w'ay wlien the device is to be used as'a scraper; In fact, these weights are' n'otnecessary when the device is-used asa field machine, ifthe" earth is v'ery soft. As soon asthedevice ispulled in the'dire'ctio'n as shown inFig. 3, the original leading side of all of the angle irons except the trailing angle iron will engage the underside of the spreader bars 10, 11 and 12, thereby bringing the free marginal edge of the angle irons in aright angle to the earth over which the device passes. Such a construction is veryrigid'and makes aimost excell'e'ntscraper for roadsan'd may often be "usedto'advantage in the field. The now trailing.-angle iron remains in a normal flexible condition with its outer corner engaging the ground over which the device passes, thereby leaving the earth in a smooth condition. If theroad-bed -isverysoft the device as a field machine may be used instead of the scraper arrangement! Itwill readily beseen that I have provided an efficient road and field conditioning machine'that maybe'quiekly changed from the use of one to the other by merely reversing its direction of pull."

Some changesmay be madein-the construction and"arrangement'ofniy improved road and field conditioning device withoutdeparting from: the real spirit and" purpose of my invention and: it'is my intention to cover by my claims any modifiedfor1ns ofstructure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonablyincluded within theirscope:

I claim:

1. Ina device oft he'class' described, a plurality of spre'ader'bars, a'plurality of angle irons each havingfa' plurality of holes, and curved members each securedtoone of said spreader bars and passing through a holein one ofsaid angle'irons.

2. In a device of the class" described, a plurality of spreader bars, at plurality of angle irons hinged at'on'e of their marginal edges to the underside of said .bars, and teeth cured to the outerside of one of said angle irons and extending in a transverse relation thereto.

3. In a device of the class described, a plurality of spreaderbars, a plurality of angle irons each havinga )lura lity ofholes near one of its marginal edges, and a plurality of curved members each secured to one ofsaid spreader bars andpassing'throngh a; hole in one of said 'angle'irons.

4. In a device of the class described. a plurality ofspre'ader bars, a plurality of angle irons each having'a' plurality of holes, and

curved memberseach secured to the underside.

of one of" said spreader bars and: passing through a'hole'in one offsai'd angle irons; respectively. I y 7 5. In a device of the class described, a pinrality'ofspreader bars, a plurality of angle ironseach having'a plurality of holes, curved members"eaclr'secured-to one of said spreader bars and passing'through"aholein one ofsa-id angle irons; and a counter balance weight on one' o*f; sjaidfangleirons? c. Ina"devieeoftfieclass ease-see; sen- 'rality ofspi eader bars, and a .plurality of angle irons each having one of its marginal edges hinged to the underside of said bars whereby its swinging movement in one directiOn will be limited by coming in contact with the underside of said bars.

FREDERICK LAGE. 

